What Must Happen Afterwards

November 19, 2008

Wednesday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time

By Melanie Rigney

… I heard a trumpet like voice that had spoken to me before, saying, “Come up here and I will show you what must happen afterwards.” … At once I was caught up in the spirit. … the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne and worship him, who lives forever and ever. (Revelation 4:1-2; 10)

Let everything that has breath give praise to the Lord! Alleluia. (Psalms 150:6)

Upon his return, the nobleman rewarded the two servants who had turned single coins into ten and five respectively, and commanded that the servant who had kept his coin in a handkerchief to give it to the servant with ten coins. The nobleman said: “I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”(Luke 19:26)

Piety

Worthy are you, Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things; because of your will they came to be and were created. (Revelation 4:11)

Study

When I was twelve, my mother’s youngest sister, Karen, moved from California to my hometown in South Dakota with her six boys ranging in age from eight to less than a year. Her husband was headed for a tour in Vietnam, and the thought was that it’d be good for Karen and the kids to be close to family. In the next two years, we celebrated a lot of birthdays and holidays and went on a lot of picnics together.

But my strongest memory is of the innumerable times that Karen drove up to our house in her big gold Impala, all six boys in tow, and hollered, “Who wants to go for a ride?” Somehow, the four Rigney kids clambered in with the Joneses. We’d go for what seemed like hours, Karen leading us in song after song after song in her clear, true soprano voice. Her personal favorite at the time was “The Magic Penny” song:

Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away

Love is something if you give it away; you end up having more.

It’s just like a magic penny; hold it tight, you won’t have any.

Lend it, spend it, and you’ll have so many, they’ll roll all over the floor.

Karen lived “The Magic Penny” song too. She gave me her prized baton and majorette boots, though it was clear even at twelve that I wasn’t majorette material (though I longed to be). She went on goofy meatpacking, dairy, and other industrial plant tours with us kids because we couldn’t do them without a chaperone. She faithfully took the boys, one of whom was deaf, to a weekly Mass for the deaf at a parish that was a bit inconvenient for the family.

I think about that servant who was so afraid to take that single coin out of his handkerchief. Then I think about Karen and other people I’ve known who fling their coins outward and upward, giving praise every day by their actions, not just their words. And I think, those are the people who will be ready for what comes afterwards, because they’re living in preparation for it today.

Action

Today, give away some time, talent, or treasure on which you have little expectation of a quick return. Be amazed how amply you are repaid.